Ghosts of the Past
by Tavae Themisal
Summary: Jan Ors and Kyle Katarn. What have they been doing in the years folloing the destruction of the Death Star? A mysterios person form the PAST shows up to stir up VERY old feelings. What will become of her? FINIS...trust me though there will eventually
1. Obligatory Disclaimer

Obligatory Disclaimer  
  
A new tale, a new disclaimer. I in no way have or probably ever will make a dime off of any of the stories I write. Thus far, all the characters but Avingale, are the intellectual property of Lucas Film Limited and the subsequent branches and subcontracted partners thereof.  
  
If the contents herein offend, I do not mean to. There is blatant and obvious use of reincarnation and past life memories. Should this be a problem to any who read, I suggest you turn back now, before my convoluted ideas infect your perfect world.  
  
Again, thanx to my sista. You are the input that helped chapter 2 flow out in roughly an hour or so. AND my advice to you. POST your stories soon. It gets rather annoying knowing that I am the only one that gets to read them. They are excellent.  
  
Apologies to those who read me. I have been remiss in writing. I would blame my muse, which left me momentarily. After that it was all my fault. I am ashamed to say that I actually forgot about you. I intend to correct my mistake.  
  
Until the reviews come in,  
  
Tavae 


	2. Chapter 1: Trials

A Return to the Flesh 14 ABY  
  
Chapter 1: Trials Sand. It was every where, swirling, stinging where it flew under the robes. The individual caught in the storm was thanking the elements that it was only a sand storm and not a gravel storm.  
  
Said person reached up and wiggled the goggles on their face. 'Too bad these filter lenses don't allow me to see through this hellish mess' they thought. Anger at the current situation spiked and the sand swirled more violently around the figure.  
  
'Stupid Banthas. If it weren't for their rejection I wouldn't have to go through this secondary trial of passage. It's been three days since I have had water...  
  
The thought trailed off ad gummy eyes blinked for focus. If it weren't for the storm, it would have been a clear night. As it was the figure made out a wavering light. 'Blessed Water, I'm home.' the sun baked mind thought,  
  
As hallucinations went, it was a good one. The dehydrated person saw, through tinted goggles, a tent just in front of her. It was too undernourished to be alerted to the fact that this tent had a transparisteel window. Neither did it comprehend that the light that came from the other side of that window was artificial. Instead, due to the abuse it had been through, it refused to move it's owner one step further.  
  
The Raider slid into the sand near the structure's wall. The abating storm covering the heap of robes in a deep layer of dust and sand. One last thought surfaced before darkness swallowed, 'Thanks to the Mother, I am safe.'  
  
~First Dawn~  
  
Jan Ors made her way through the streets on Mos Taike. "This place is bad," she whispered under her breath, "worse than that armpit Mos Eisley and it's only a quarter of the size."  
  
"Which means the sooner you get what we came for, the sooner we leave." another's voice put in.  
  
She was about to give a witty retort when a scream form nearby made her jump. "Damn, rats!" she muttered. Then it came again higher and more terrified. Much closer than before.  
  
"That didn't sound like any rat, Jan. Does trouble follow you like a cloud or something?"  
  
"Not now Katarn." She said as she glanced down an alley to her right. There was a small gang of men. A small head bobbed up and down against the wall. From what Jan could see, it was a girl of no more than thirteen years of age. The entire left side of the girl's face was a mass of purple and black bruising. Clothing hung off the child's body it tattered shreds.  
  
"Hutt slime." she spat "I hate it when you're right Katarn." She switched off her commlink before he could answer.  
  
She Pulled her blaster. "Boys, I suggest you all back off...now." to emphasize her point she leveled her blaster at the one nearest to her.  
  
The girl slid from sight and a fourth man joined the first three. He was adjusting his clothing. An empty knife sheath was at his hip. "We were just on our way miss." The newcomer said with a sleazy grin.  
  
They Pushed past Jan and proceeded to leave the alley. They never made it. Dulling indigo eyes flashed in anger. A sand whirl appeared out of the blue and threw them several hundred meters into the air. The bodies landed where they started with dull thuds and the sickening popping of breaking bones.  
  
Jan looked at the child. The girl had passed out. 


	3. Chapter 2: Blazing Past

Chapter 2: Blazing Past  
  
She was on fire. Every inch of her burned, but she remained unharmed. It was consuming her but not. How can the flame do this? It is their nature to consume all and leave nothing. Then it hit her. The flames were only consuming the package that she called her body. So the fire raged around her, consuming what she had been.  
  
NO! She raged at it as it attempted to encroach on what she knew. You can take the wrappings but not the gift inside. Her furor made the blaze stop. She got the impression that it blinked at her momentarily and nodded it acceptance of her decree.  
  
It backed off. Allowing her to see what it had been trying to hide form her.  
  
~Smoke and fire ravaged everything. The jungle had been dieing for several years now. Her old apprentice had done her job too well. In a last act of revenge on the people here, Icara had ignited the second sun that hung in the sky. The resulting rise in temperature had taken roughly ten years to do its job of evaporating the once vast ocean that had covered the planet. The oceans had grown smaller while the deserts had become vaster eventually enveloping the entire sphere. The once breathtaking beauty of Tatooine shattered forever by a single spark from a campfire.~  
  
Tears streaked down her face as the fire once more blocked her view. No matter how much this hurts I will overcome. Pain is nothing. That is what I learned from that tragedy. It relented once more.  
  
~Smoke surrounded her. Flames guttered here and there. She was feeling lost, bereft. As if there had been more than just her family torn from her in the explosion. The feeling turned quickly to anger and hate for the person that had caused this tragedy. Her best friend and greatest rival J'bron T'nil. He had planted a bomb meant to kill her for taking his place on the Grav-ball team.  
  
The rage reached boiling and he flew back against the railing. He barely managed to grab a hold of the railing. She saw this and imagined his fingers peeling off the rail slowly and so they did. Just as the last peeled from the metal bar she heard a yell. "NO!" She turned to see one of the rarely seen Jedi. His look of sorrow and reproach caused her to shudder. But then his gaze lightened as he saw her genuine disgust for herself. "At least you understand wheat you did was wrong. Now come with me, we will see that you are properly trained."~  
  
The flames seemed to cradle her now. Giving her a brief reprieve from intense searing pain. Heralding a gentling of the memories that flowed through her mind. The years spent with a guiding hand. The love and acceptance of her fellow Jedi. The bittersweet time spent with her soul's mate. All of this and many other memories assailed her in the time she spent healing in the bacta.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Jan looked on in mute fascination. The techs said they had never seen anything like this before. It appeared that the girl was fighting the treatment. "If this keeps up much longer, we'll run out of bacta. And you already owe me enough for even letting you stop here Ors." Came a gruff male voice.  
  
"I know Garm. But you were the closest person I could think of with a supply to make an attempt." She looked to the old General, "Besides you needed someone to do a supply run for you anyways."  
  
"Then it's a good thing that you were already done with it when this problem arised isn't it?"  
  
She smiled. "I guess it is. We might as well get her out of there. I know enough to keep her from harm until her wounds heal." Her grin became wider, "We wouldn't want to have me go out on another run for you so soon. It wouldn't look good." 


	4. Chapter 3: Memories of the Soul

Chapter 3: Memories of the Soul  
  
She screamed. The nightmare awoke her was nothing to the reality that assaulted her. It was cold, almost bone-numbing cold. that fact coupled with the full darkness that was only found in the caves, wrenched a blood churning scream from her, 'This must be Hell!' she thought as she pulled the blanket more tightly around her.  
  
As she settled , there was the sound of hurried footsteps. Or what she assumed were footsteps, she really couldn't tell because it was more of a clanking sound than anything. There was also a muffled twittering. One was higher than the other, possibly a man and a woman.  
  
She shuddered for no apparent reason. Then closed her eyes. She needed to know what they were saying. She concentrated and the muffled buzz became louder, but she couldn't quite make out the words. She opened her eyes and let out a frustrated breath, "Sands lot of good that did me, learning the intruder's language. Can't even make out what they are saying." She turned her grumpy look to the view port. "I have no clue where I am, why and how I got here..."  
  
The girl was so lost in her thoughts that she did not hear the door open. In fact, she heard nothing until a hand rested on her shoulder. "Child, you have some pretty nasty wounds. You should remain in bed." The high toned voice informed.  
  
She suppressed a shudder at the grating across her nerves the voice caused. To her it had the quality of nails on slate, she knew it was not the human's fault, their voices were just like that. Slowly she turned her attention to the voice's owner. When they met the owner's that person asked, " Can you understand me?" with a puzzled look.  
  
Jan was confused. The girl had been able to answer some of her earlier questions. 'Could that be because of the concussion. That did not make sense to her, but she was no med-droid. 'I still have several questions for her.'  
  
"Yes, I understand," came a voice that was a kin to wind through the leaves, "and other than feeling like I've been hit by a pod-racer at top speed, I feel fine."  
  
"A little less than a racer child, but more damage." She gently pushed the girl back to the sleep couch. "There are a few knife wounds on you. You're lucky they didn't have a vibro knife, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." She turned her head. "Make yourself useful Katarn, get some more bandages."  
  
He went to get the supplies from the hold. Jan talked to the girl as she tended her wounds. "What is your name?" she asked, "I'm Jan."  
  
"Avingale." "Ah-veen-gah-lay?" Questioned the one named Katarn as he returned with the bandages.  
  
"Correct." he stated as her gaze shifted to the returning person. She swallowed hard. She knew this person. Heedless of her state of dress and wounds, the raider pushed past Jan. Her eyes were unfocused and distant, as if she were seeing more than most do.  
  
She stumbled across the deck to where he stood. Her hand touched the side of her face and a wave crashed over him. The torrent of images collided together.  
  
Smoke, blood, and death. Red hair, green eyes. His mind tried to place the images in the now, or as now as it could be, with that whole business between him and Mara.  
  
"Master Tamsis." came the bare whisper.  
  
The scenes clicked together like a perfect puzzle with that name being uttered. It was a memory, locked long and deep. The emotions it evoked took him to his knees. The girl with him. He heard her voice from a great distance. In his mind, the young woman spoke to him as she changed.  
  
"The package has changed, but it's contents remain the same." Green eyes paled, turned blue the darkened to violet. Red hair darkened, turning to the color of dried blood then finally to the color of space outside the window. The body structure itself became more willowy, facial bones higher and more delicate. Her ears became pointed ever so slightly. 'This is too much like...'  
  
A slightly mocking smile touched the girl's lips. "You know better, it is truth. Choose or refuse it as you will. I have no choice."  
  
That said the moment was ended. The girl now named Avingale passed out, slipping in an exhausted heap to the deck plates. A mentally exhausted Kyle Katarn looked to Jan. "See to her," he shakily pushed to his feet, "then we need to talk." 


	5. Chapter 4: Friends in the Right Places

Chapter 4: Aquaintces in the Right Places  
  
"What was that about?" Jan asked as she sat in the co-pilots chair.  
  
"Well...I need to process it all myself first." He ran a hand through his brown hair. "I need you to stay on watch right now. I sent a message to the chief rock, I should receive a return one soon."  
  
"Gotcha." She watched his retreating back; "You want me to wake you when it comes in?"  
  
"In fact patch it through to my bunk screen, she'll have questions of her own."  
  
He left Jan to the controls and took a short walk back to his cabin. Not intending to he stopped by the door to Avingale's room. He stood there for several minutes, wrestling with his own thought before entering. He moved to where the girl rested. "I left that life long ago Padawan. I chose this time because I could start fresh. No disappointments and no memories of failure to plague me. I am Master Miohs Tamsis no longer. I'm not master nor even a Jedi. I am Kyle Katarn, Captain of the Moldy Crow and that's all."  
  
She rolled over in her sleep placing her back to him. Then sent to him. 'Believe what you will Master, but the Force has thrown you in deeper than you know.'  
  
He strode out of the chamber wondering mildly why her turning her back to him hurt a little. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Avingale suffered in silence. He had admitted it. Then slapped her in the face. Insulting her with the most ancient of terms. She was half tempted to let it all go, to become the complete blank that so many favored once returning to the flesh. Though she knew the reason that she had been allowed to remember. Not that it did her much good, the pain it was causing right now wasn't worth all the knowledge she had store in her head. She wished she could be so lucky as to get deja vu and flashes.  
  
She blinked twice. Deja Vu. That is all that much of this had been until recently. Until her coming of age trial, that's when the hallucinations began. Three days in the desert with no food and no water during storm season.  
  
The first had come at a day and a half. It was nothing more than her chasing her new adopted sister through the camp. It should have been a simple task to bring a three year old to the meal and prepare for a brief rest, however things became all confused. She instead felt herself being chased by another. A person not much older than her. He caught her by her red hair. His other hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around...and she was back in her village. At it's edge being reined in by an adult before she ran too far.  
  
Her second fever dream was nothing more than a rapid succession of recent memories of her recent desert trial. The thing she hadn't realized before was that she had caused the sandstorm. Her irritation at her situation bled to her surroundings creating the one thing that would annoy her even more. Or was it something more than her will that caused the storm right then...maybe it was meant to be that she was here with the soul of her former Master.  
  
That's when it hit her. Her ability to read object histories by touch must have triggered this. It was a rare gift among her people. She looked back into her past memories. There was one that stuck out and it explained perfectly why this incident happened. She had been the chief interrogator for intelligence. She had been an expert at manipulating and peeling memories from people. It was that, to a somewhat lesser degree, which led to her current innate ability now. That which had caused her to recognize the soul within CPT Katarn. It, which tore down the transparisteel walls that sectioned off the soul's memories from the flesh. To patch that back together would be to lose everything.  
  
"Ugg. Nothing worse than someone who won't face destiny."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
His sleep was fitful. The half remembered past causing him to toss and turn. A snippet of a young woman, eyes fairly crackling with her anger, a dull gray skinned Twilek falling to his death...an argument between Master and Padawan resulting in them parting...falling in love, marrying and despairing at the death of that person.  
  
A quiet chirruping interrupted his sleep. "Kyle, the Head Rock is on the comm. Wants to talk to you." Jan's voice imposed itself for a moment into the dream. It came from the dead woman's lips and felt right being there.  
  
He shook himself from it. "Give me a minute, then patch it through."  
  
A few minutes later he was decent enough to present himself in front of the transmitter. "What you got?"  
  
Her look said 'a good swift kick for you Katarn' but she said, "Nothing in my normal search base." His crestfallen look made her hastily add, "But other searches turned up interesting facts. The data was extremely old and difficult to decipher but it associated the name Shae Nival with the ancient sport of Grav-ball."  
  
He let out a low whistle. "That sport changed drastically around 15,000 years ago didn't it?" He knew full well that it had he just needed to hear conformation. While he waited for Tionne to reply, which was not long, he poured himself a cup of caf.  
  
"Yes. That's why it took me most of the day to find so dreadfully little...hey are you all right?"  
  
He took a sip from his mug, "Yeah, fine. Was there anything else?"  
  
"Just that she disappeared after the last grand championship held before anti-grav units were introduced into the game..."  
  
He took another sip of caf to push back the nausea that had suddenly overcome him with the memory that statement evoked. Tionne did not catch this one because he had his gaze locked o his cup.  
  
"...I haven't consulted the Holocron's yet, just the public access and old temple records..."  
  
He cut her off. "They weren't that meticulous with the records yet. Please check the rest and get back with me."  
  
Noting that he was becoming rather impatient she asked, "Why is this so important?"  
  
He leveled his gaze at her. "Because we have a thirteen year old, desert-brained girl on board that believes she's this person reborn. The trouble is I am beginning to believe her."  
  
She arched an eyebrow. "Oh, well I'll be back with you on that as soon as I can. Head Rock out." She smiled as she switched the transceiver off.  
  
"Moldy Crow out." 


	6. Chapter 5: Coming to Terms

Chapter 5: Coming to Terms  
  
Jan slammed her hands on the console in front of her. "You're going to go in there and see her this time." They were making a supply run to the academy. They did this once a year if they were available. That way the old hauler who usually made the run could have a vacation. "It's not as if you're going to have to worry about Luke being here to ask you why you left again..."  
  
"I'm not worried about that any more Jan. I just haven't dealt with other issues just yet."  
  
"Give me a break Kyle. It's been five years since you put her off here. Purge that, you made me escort her and give Tionne your explanation. Every time since then that we've dropped supplies here, you never come off the ship. I have yet to see her come to meet us either."  
  
"She is respecting my wishes."  
  
Jan narrowed her eyes. "Fine then, if you wish to be left alone then you land this crate on your own." With that she left Kyle to brood alone.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Avingale slowly descended the stairs on the outside of the Great Temple. She had been told that her and two others were to unload the shuttle. She had protested to Kam but he would have none of her defiance. She gave a brief smile to herself. He still thought her a child. If only he knew the true facts of her race or the fact that she knew more of certain past events than his wife did.  
  
Her smile faltered. That was why many of the younger students shunned her. They sensed it. The older ones stayed from her by virtue of her seeming status as one of the younger. She let out a frustrated sigh. So she was in the same mess she had been in in previous lives, she had no friends.  
  
A glint in the atmosphere caught her attention as she finished descending the stairs. The glare off the ship's sides let her know that this wasn't the Lightning Rod. It was also entirely too bright for it to be the 'Crow. Old Peckhum was on vacation and it looked as if Katarn and Ors were off on a mission.  
  
On one hand she was relieved. She did not want to face him again before he was ready for it. Not that the incident at their fist meeting was her fault anyway. Her suspicion was that if they hadn't met at that time the situation would have been avoided and neither of them would have any memory of who they had been. The force had seen fit to render it otherwise.  
  
The other half was saddened. Jan and herself had formed a tenative friendship on the rare occasions that the duo had made trips here. Avingale was glad for that. They had never had the time to previously and that caused much heartache for all parties involved. Not that they had been together long before it was time to find her own apprentice.  
  
Lost in thought as she was, she did not sense the presence on the ship until it had come into a much clearer view. It was one she should have felt coming from the other side of the system. Him. It was him on the ship and she would be with him.  
  
She stopped mid-stride, half way across the landing field. He was not ready to face her yet, but here the time came. Pushed on them. She nervously finished taking up posistion with the other two trainees that were assigned to duty this morning. They noticed her discomfort.  
  
One had the decency to keep quiet. But the other, "What's to be nervous for? I mean we get shipments on a regular basis." "I would appreciate it if you would mind your own business. It is a long story that I haven't the time to relate right now." She replied coolly.  
  
The others began to whisper and she counted to three. "Yes. I'm the one they warned you about," she started without taking her eyes off the ship, "the one who feels too old and looks too young. That knows much and shares little. Well I'm sharing now. You'd both do well to remember that things that are not wish to be over heard are better left unsaid...aloud."  
  
The self-satisfied smirk was still on her face when Kyle caught sight of her. 'She's obviously very pleased about something. Though I hope it isn't about seeing me again because I have a few choice words...' His thoughts trailed to a halt when he saw the smile melt from her features. Then he felt that curious tingle and knew that they both knew what the other wanted to say.  
  
"You know that this is very unnerving."  
  
"Well it isn't exactly my fault that our training bond had been this deep in the first place." She shot back at him.  
  
"This wouldn't be happening if..."  
  
"Please just drop it. I was delirious at that point in time. If I had been in complete control we would only be having serious feelings of deja vu. But what is, is."  
  
"That doesn't mean I have to like it."  
  
He sensed her smile again. "Care to work that frustration off after dinner tonight?"  
  
It was his turn to smile. That was all the assent she needed. She bowed her head in acknowledgement.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Jan came into the cafeteria. She didn't hesitate a moment getting a tray and heading for the lone figure at a corner table. "Care for some company?" She asked as she sat.  
  
Avingale looked up a little startled by someone coming over to eat with her, but she smiled when she saw who it was. "Sure you can, though I don't know why you want to eat here."  
  
"It has to be better then the dry rations on the ship." She took a bite and grimaced. "On second thought..."  
  
"I did warn you." Avingale stated pointing her spoon at Jan. She slurped a little of the soup. Then a wistful look crossed her features. "My Master used to be unequaled when it came to cooking. He could work wonders with a ships rations." She paused for but a moment as if contemplating her next words. "Has Captain Katarn made anything for you?"  
  
Jan thought about it for a second. "Once after we dropped you off here. He didn't seem himself and he realized it after I complemented him on the excellence of the meal."  
  
A throat was cleared behind Jan. Avingale looked up to see Kyle there. Apparently displeased with the fact that they were talking of him. "Speak of them and they appear."  
  
"We have an appointment, do we not?" He spoke, rather unintentionally, in an ancient and formal verbal pattern. The kind that was reserved for unruly Padawans.  
  
Avingale smiled. "Excuse me Dia, you're welcome to come watch." She wiped her mouth and got up from the table. Noting her former Master's glare at her choice of address for Jan. "Shall we? The sooner we start the less of a crowd we will attract." 


	7. Chapter 6: Of Weapons and Spectators

Chapter 6: Exorcising Demons  
  
The training arena was next to empty when they arrived. Being that most of the student population was busied with dinner; this was the time that the Master's set aside for themselves to work out. It was a rather large room open somewhat to the outside. The portion inside the building had two layers before it gave away to the sparring ring. Which was now occupied by two of the older students that neither of them had ever seen. They took seats to observe the bout. It ended quicker than the either Avingale or Kyle expected.  
  
The ring's occupants bowed to each other and turned to leave. They paused but a minute or two before vacating the ring.  
  
"How shall we do this?" She asked of Kyle.  
  
"How better than how it used to be, that is what led to this after all isn't it?" He fished a credit out of his pocket.  
  
She smiled. The credit was a far cry from the coin that they used in the old days. "You call, I'll flip." This was the old way. One that either garnered trust between the two parties or caused a certain amount of suspicion. But she trusted him not to cheat and she knew she wouldn't do so.  
  
"Denomination up."  
  
She flipped the credit. It went up and neither reached for it as it clanged on the floor. One bounce, two. It teetered on its edge for a moment. Then it fell: denomination down. Avingale smiled. "How about we start with something old." She moved over to the wall and removed two quarter staffs. She tossed one at him. "You do remember how to use this don't you?"  
  
He just leveled his gaze at her and motioned for her to toss him one. Once he caught it he touched one end to his forehead in salute. Then he swung at her.  
  
She caught the blow easily. Sliding her hand down to meet her other one while sliding his out of the way so she could tap him on the leg. He had anticipated this and brought the other end of his down to meet it. "Well, well I suppose you do." She commented sweetly.  
  
"It seems we may be here longer than you thought, Avingale."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Jan heard the sound of boots slapping on the stones in the corridor. The fact that she could hear them so clearly oven the din in the dining hall made her wonder. The sudden appearance of two breathless students went almost unnoticed except for the fact one of them spoke up.  
  
"Hey all, you gotta come see. Spooky and one of the Lost are in the arena now." He paused to get his breath.  
  
"Yeah. It could be a very good match." his accomplice added.  
  
Someone from the sea of students spoke up, "What! Spooky couldn't fight her way out of a bowl of Nubian Garn Gel." There were many sniggers and laughs at that comment. "Besides that Lost hasn't touched a saber in years. The first thing he'll probably do is cut off his foot."  
  
"Well then," a new voice entered causing much of the noise to settle down, "why don't you all just go and see if that happens? We wouldn't want any of you to miss it now would we?"  
  
Jan's head whipped around as the room grew deathly silent. There was a small group of figures standing in one of the other access doors to the dining hall. Each wore a robe. Jan turned her gaze back to her food. 'Damn it. We were hoping that he wouldn't show up. Now Kyle is going to be very upset.' Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the students file out in the direction the two elder boys had come from. Just as she was about to join them a hand rested down on her shoulder.  
  
"It been a long while Ms. Ors."  
  
"We had intended it to be much longer, Master Skywalker." She turned to look at him. "Shouldn't you be on your Honeymoon?"  
  
"We are headed that way. It's just that I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to be here more time before I gave it over to Kam and Tionne on a more permanent basis."  
  
"Look just don't bother him, please?" She looked into his eyes pleading with him.  
  
He sighed. "I won't."  
  
"Good. Shall we go?"  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
They entered last to find everyone's rapt attention on the combatants. Normally there would be many side conversations and remarks. As the next few steps of the bout played out they all saw why.  
  
Avingale parried Kyle's blow. Knocking it up and over just enough for her to do a ducking spin underneath it. She came to a standing posistion before he had a chance to recover and pool-qued him in the butt. It knocked Kyle off balance enough to send him sliding onto the floor. Instead of pressing her advantage she took up a defensive stance and waited for him to recover.  
  
Luke quirked an eyebrow. "Why doesn't she press the advantage?"  
  
None of the other Masters could answer him. The surprise came when Jan turned away from the fight to speak. "They are fighting by a rather archaic set of rules."  
  
Tionne was the first one to speak up. "How do you know that?"  
  
"Avingale explained it to me over dinner." She took a breath. "I didn't follow most of it but apparently there are three rounds. Each is fought with a different weapon and you can only win the fight when your opponet is disarmed and at your mercy."  
  
"But that makes no sense." Mara put in.  
  
Jan shrugged and turned back to the fight. "Who said it had to?"  
  
No one had a answer for that, so they all turned their full attention back to the fight. The only sound coming from the arena was that of the wood striking wood. All of them were totally oblivios to the complete conversation taking place between the combatants.  
  
'Looks like we have a crowd now.' Kyle sent to her.  
  
'And that should bother me?'  
  
'I thought that you would rather of done this privately'  
  
She gave a barely preceptible negitive shake of her head as he swung at her again. The power of the blow rattling her teeth. 'Actually I was thinking more for your sake than mine.' She sent back as she parried and manuvered to where he could see who it was that was in the audience.  
  
'You always did find a way to distract me in a fight.'  
  
'Hey, I need all the advantages taht I can get.' She swung at him and he caught the blow on the staff between his hands. Instead of breaking off, she continued to put her weight behind the blow. 'She knows.' With that she broke off, her eyes flshing a quick glance in Jan's direction to make sure he caught her meaning.  
  
His anger flashed though momentarily. 'What gave you the right to tell her?' He asked as he advanced. He went into a flurry of blows that she was to deflect with a little effort.  
  
'She asked.' Noting that he was backing her into the wall, she blocked a blow. Then she tossed her weapon past him and dove between his legs. She went into a tucking roll that brought her back to her feet. Once back on her feet she caught her staff and brought it back to ready as he came at her again.  
  
'That still does not give you the right.' He attacked her again. This time aiming to disarm her. He nearly succeeded too when he noticed who was behind Jan.  
  
Taking his momentary distraction to her advantage, Avingale reversed his ploy and disarmed him. She attempted to trip him and he jumped. Havning expected that move she also sweapt at his feet again just before he landed, he fell to the floor. She pointed the staff at his throat. 'Round to me. You may get the answer to your question if you manage to win the next round.'  
  
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Name the weapon."  
  
She smiled. Two rapiers found their way to the center of the ring. "These are a bit more appropriate for this round, don't you think?"  
  
He smiled back at her. He was still far from happy with the situation now, but the fact that she would shoose the last weaopn they had ever sparred with made him less angry. "You never could best me with any blade. What makes you think you will now?"  
  
Her smile got a little wider as she saluted him. Her soft, breeze- like voice carried through the chamber. "Times have changed Master. Shall we?"  
  
He saluted back. "Lets."  
  
.......  
  
A murmer went through the crowd after they heard her call Kyle Master. None of them had ever seen him before. Even the group with Jan was slightly confused. He had never been truly recognized as a Knight. For a student, little more than a girl, to aknowlege him as one of the Masters confused them slightly.  
  
Tionne looked down at them as they continued the fight. As she watched some things clicked back into place for her. "She's the one he was talking about, isn't she?" She asked Jan.  
  
"What?"  
  
"About five years ago, he called saying there was some crazy child on board his ship. Not long after that you dropped her here."  
  
Jan dropped her gaze to the floor. "Yes. He'd wanted to put some distance between them. Hell he didn't even want to see her this visit."  
  
"Well I wouldn't blame him. The one entry I found on the woman she had been was so badly corrupted that all I could get was sketchy information at best. The Holocron did't give me much more to go on either. The keeper said that Shae Nival was no more than a myth. A story of one of those who was corrupted by darkness."  
  
Luke looked to her. "And she's been here this whole time?"  
  
She gave him a hard stare. "It's not as if I'd realzed it before now. Besides it changes nothing, she has done no harm."  
  
The clashing of the ancitent blades diverted their attentions back to the arena. The combatants were going in a pure ear ringing dance. They were obviously tapping into the force this round, where they had forsaken it in the first round.  
  
Light glinted off the blades as they parried, spun and dodged moves at an alarming rate. They all noticed a few of the blows get through. Most of which should have taken off an appendage with the sheer power behind them. The fighters' skills, both physical and force generated, blunted them enough to make most of them mere scratches.  
  
In one paticularly fierce advance by Kyle, he managed to disarm Avingale. The Master's looked on in mute amazement. The blade was pressed nealty into her neck, deep enough to start a little trickle of blood running down the girl's neck. That posistion was held for so many moments that when Kyle's arm jerked the blade back and gave it the slight flip so that his hand was holding it just in front of the hand guard, everyone audibly gasped.  
  
He offered her a hand up and she smiled. 'Perhaps we should stop here. I don't think their sensiblilties could handle a no-holds-barred match.'  
  
Glancing at the group of Masters huddling around Jan he conceded. 'Not even Skywalker would understand that one.' He saluted them. Noting the look of apperhension on Luke's face he added, 'Manners now.'  
  
She flashed a blinding smile and bowed. She then turned and bowed to Kyle. "A great workout. I thank you and look forward to our next one Captain Katarn." The mischievious glint went unnoticed by all but him.  
  
"So do I." He said after noting that the spectators were beginning to leave. "We need to talk. Say tomorrow?"  
  
"Certainly, but aren't you leaving tomorrow."  
  
"Yes and you're coming with me." He continued on before she had a change to form words for the breathshe was taking. "What could you learn here that you do not already know?"  
  
She paused. "Nothing."  
  
"What could you teach them?"  
  
She actually thought about that one for a moment. There was so much that she had to teach. As she examined all that she knew it hit her. She couldn't teach them. They were not ready for what she knew. She looked up at Kyle and in a quiet voice said, "Nothing."  
  
He nodded his head and went to clean up. Avingale, noting that he considered the matter closed, did likewise and headed to her quarters. 


	8. Chapter 7: Repeating the Past

Chapter 7: Repeating the Past  
  
~It had been a long time since she had seen her former Master. Years since their falling out at her choice of professions. He voiced, quite vehemently, an objection to her working in the Special Intelligence and Tactical branch of the order. To him they were just a step up from being smugglers and thugs. So now, as she looked into his eyes and saw the recognition there, she veiled her eyes and bowed her head as a good concubine would. Her mind, however, reached for the bond that would never fully break. 'Do NOT blow my cover.'  
  
The conversation he had been having with the ruler suddenly occupied less of his attention. 'What are you doing here?' It was more of a demand than a question.  
  
Shae's eyes shifted up and to his right very briefly taking in his partner on this expedition. 'I am your contact. The better question would be what is SHE doing here.' The emphasis was more to let him know that she had noticed the woman by his side than a burn of jealousy. 'She's in more danger than I am.'  
  
'Where my wife decides to go with me is none of your business young Knight.' To his host he stated. "I would be more than happy to stay but we have already made other arrangements."  
  
Shae's head shot up and she gave a startled gasp as his sentence finished. She didn't have time to dwell on her momentary shock as she was roughly pulled to her lord's side.  
  
"What is so shocking that you would dare make a sound without permission my firebrand?" He questioned menacingly.  
  
When she answered there was a suitable tremor of terror in her voice. "I...It's just t.t.that I've never heard of a.anyone turn down y.your hospitality before, m.m.my l.lord.  
  
"Oh, but it has been my poppet." He stated as he loosed his grip on her hair enough to allow her to pull back. As she did, strands of her red curls separated from her scalp and stayed between his fingers. "It has, but look you have embarrassed me in front of our guests. " His gaze narrowed. "Leave us and send out L'roh, she knows how to maintain a proper silence."  
  
She bowed her exit. The annoying voice of Master Tamsis followed her. 'Why?'  
  
'He's been eyeing Dia all night, either you get her off this rock or you'll never see her again.'~  
  
Avingale woke with a start. It took a moment to realize where she was, being on the capital world again was a bit disorienting after several thousand years. She was a guest of the Chief of State. She took a look around her room and tried to shake off a sense of impending doom.  
  
She padded over to the comm. and punched in Jan's code.  
  
"Ors here."  
  
"Jan it's Avi. Please do not go on this mission."  
  
"Sweetie it's too late for changes, were already in the air."  
  
"Be extremely careful then, I ."she broke off because she couldn't find the words to express how worried she was.  
  
"Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it."  
  
She heaved a sigh. "Just watch your back. I have a feeling that you'll need to. Bye."  
  
"Until later." Jan signed off as Kyle entered the cockpit.  
  
"Who was that?" he asked.  
  
"Avingale." She watched a brief scowl cross his features. "She was just concerned, said she had a bad feeling about this mission."  
  
"Well I'd be filthy rich if I had a credit for every Jedi who's said that phrase over the years. Was she worried that I might not make it back?"  
  
Jan hesitated. "No actually she called me directly. Your name never entered the equation."  
  
That caused him to pause. He was almost certain that the child was still fixated on him. He knew that was a problem. What he couldn't figure out is why she would suddenly change her focus to Jan. /She isn't only Jan/ that other piece of him stated. Then it clicked. Avi knew that Jan was his wife from a former life, not only his wife but soul mate as well. /If something were to happen to her./ he let that thought trail off and tramped down his insecurities. He covered Jan's hand with his own. "Don't worry, we'll get this small imperial problem taken care of and come back. It will be nice to prove a Jedi's instincts wrong for once."  
  
Jan looked at him skeptically as he walked away. 


	9. Chapter 8: The Depths of Rage and Back

Chapter 8: The Depths of Rage and Back  
  
It was dark where he sat now in the temple reflecting on the various things that had gone wrong on the mission. Had he been paying attention they never would have gotten to her. As it was it seemed to be his entire fault that Jan...oh how it hurt to think her name...was gone. That one piece of him that had just been there was forever ripped away. His light in the endless universe stripped away.  
  
The door to his chamber cracked allowing the barest sliver of the glow panels to illuminate his room. He cringed away from it.  
  
"Master Katarn, it's time for dinner." A tentative trainees voice cut through his blessed silence. He hated it when they called him that. He wasn't truly a master, just a trainer. One still struggling with darkness so thick that it was nearly choking.  
  
"M'not hungry." He scraped out. His vice sounding raw for no good reason.  
  
"But..."  
  
"You tell Master Skywalker that if he is so concerned for me, he needs to come drag me out of here." He barely saw the hand that came down on the trainee's shoulder.  
  
There was a hushed whisper that he couldn't quite make out and the trainee left. His door finished opening. The light glared into his eyes. A familiar voice came from the obscured silhouette. "You know he won't. I won't make you go to dinner either. But one way or another you are coming out of this disgusting cave you have made yourself, and I would much rather eat than spar at this moment."  
  
The undisguised hostility in the voice made him cringe slightly. "Go away Avingale. I don't need you here."  
  
"But you do. Now do you want to eat or fight? Just remember how crabby I get though without a full belly."  
  
His eyes narrowed. "That was then..."  
  
"Oh some things never change though." She pulled him from the bed. "We need to hash this out now then." She yanked him out the door and down the hall to the spectator's arena. "They can come watch if they want. Just remember, it's old rules all three rounds this time. I win you stop skulking and get fed and cleaned up. You win and I'm out of your life...for good."  
  
It was the first time he stopped to think what he must look like at his point. His robe was filthy. His hair and beard were stringy, oily, and so tangled that it would take quite some time for him to get them neat again. His eyes narrowed. "Deal."  
  
"Hand to hand, staff, and sabers at full power. In that order."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
The first to rounds went fairly quickly. Kyle being thoroughly trounced by Avingale. Who was really using the first two to cool her irritation at the man before her. He may not have realized it yet, but she knew that deep down he blamed her for Jan's loss, and on some level Dia's still as well. That was way she had challenged him.  
  
Their pace hadn't changed at all from the beginning. She did take a brief moment to note all of the people that had collected. The Masters Solusar were foremost, the other various teachers. She was even able to briefly note the Solo children somewhere near the front of the elder students, watching intently.  
  
She was the first to interrupt the near silence when he barely missed her. "Please I know that you can do better than that."  
  
"Just attempting to regain your full attention Avi." He returned as he sliced her sleeve off.  
  
That just solicited a smile from her. "You think I am distracted. HA." She returned and proceeded to finish the last cut needed to make his filth-ridden robe to flutter to the ground. "See you didn't even realize I had you set up for that T." She dropped to the familiar that Dia used to call him.  
  
His eyes narrowed. "Don't start with that." He growled and lunged.  
  
She blocked it easily. "It's where all this began. There's no place better than that, Master." She stressed the last and broke blade contact. She ducked low and took a shot at his knees.  
  
He jumped and easily cleared her smaller frame. He came down in a double-handed swing. She barely blocked it and he had her blade pressed so close she could hear hairs on her head sizzling as they began to singe. She was going to have a difficult time disengaging from the lock. One wrong slip and her head would be split in two. Not the way she wanted it, if she was going out this time she'd at least have his forgiveness.  
  
Using just enough telekinesis to help keep the blade off her, she ducked and rolled to the side. She sprung back to her feet. Her blade snapped back on just in time to catch his on the edge.  
  
"Some things are just meant to remain buried." He ground out between clenched teeth. Then he stepped into his next swing, closing the distance between them. "That is one of them."  
  
"Not to me." She grunted out as she used the leverage to spring back several meters. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. He was on her before she landed. "That's what this has been about from the beginning." She continued. This time instead of waiting he tripped her. Then placed his blade to her throat. She breathed out as he did so. "You were never able to forgive me."  
  
Just as his saber was about to sever her head, it deactivated. The homicidal light in his eyes shut off. Then his hand came down to help her up. Once on her feet he gave her a fierce hug. "Never, never once in all this time did I ever blame you." He held her back far enough to look into her eyes. "I was the one that failed each time. I couldn't get her to stay then, just as now. I didn't heed your warning. It all falls on my shoulders. I failed both of you."  
  
Her left hand dropped the blade that had been forgotten in the moment. It automatically shut down. "I never blamed you, either. My decisions were my own. I just happened to be the one the Tribunal decided to make an example of."  
  
"It was still a failure in my instruction."  
  
She pushed away from him. "I was old enough to take responsibility for my own actions. That mission was botched and you were lost because of ME." She nearly yelled at him.  
  
By this time many of the spectators had left because the physical fight had ended. Only the masters and a handful of the gossipers remained behind to see it to its true end. They had already sensed that much of the anger and resentment had dissipated. Now it was more of a fine-tuning the details. It went back and forth like that for several minutes before they finally hugged each other again. Then they stepped back and bowed to one another and again to those who were still in the formal training arena. Then they left.  
  
Tionne turned to Kam. "The stories that I could probably get from them..."  
  
"I wouldn't push that one honey. If they want to share, they will."  
  
She just gave him the 'I know' look. Then she took his hand and walked out of the viewing booth. 


	10. Chapter 9:Home Coming

**Chapter 9: Home Coming**

Avingale snorted in disgust. "_Thank you, Avi. You were probably the only one who could knock some sense back into me. I've been called away again and I would like you to come." Oh, but he leaves me here, with his employer. She only sees me as a kid. _She looked across the table. There were too many things that could go wrong with this arrangement. "Ma'am, I'd like to make a request."

"What would that be?" Asked the cultured voice.

"I need to take a ship to my home world."

"Kyle told me to keep you here."

The only gesture on Avingale's part was that of actually meeting Mon Mothma's eyes. _"You will get me passage on a ship to Tatooine. If he asks, it's because my father needs me."_

_  
"I'm sure he won't mind then. _

She had felt bad for doing that to the older woman. But it had been necessary, her father hadn't seen her in years. Ever since that day she had been put off in the desert to find her way to the tribe, she had hoped to see him again. There had been so many challenges to his right to lead. She knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before one got him. The last one did. Now he was slowly wasting away of an illness that would leave nothing but his bleached bones behind.

Now, as she trudged through the sands to Vertis Alonim Eruk, the village of the dead, she knew that she was lucky to make it here in time to see him. Her father was dieing. This was the place he would be because of it. The last place on Tatooine that any Tuskin went to…especially if they had been a member of the slaughtered tribe. It had become the sacred death and burial grounds not long after the incident.

It was rumored that the angry spirit of the Destroyer still whispered there. She would soon find out. She came to the edge of the village and paused, listening for the whisper of a prayer on the wind. It came to her in all of it's old glory. Avi smiled. If only the outsiders knew of the old language, then they wouldn't truly think the Raiders were barbaric and savage.

His back was to her as she approached. Not wanting to startle him, she scuffed her foot through the sand. The man's body turned as a unit to face her direction. She gasped as she saw him, robes and the other necessary survival equipment having been given back to the tribe, his eyes had gone milky white in a very short time. She knew he was only seeing her as a shadow and probably thought her a ghost herself. Tears streaked her face as he spoke.

"I prayed every day that you would come visit me in my dreams, daughter. Why do you only show yourself now?" came the weary observation.

Her voice cracked slightly when she spoke. "Father I wasn't dead…just misplaced."

"You speak non-sense shade. We found the tatters of your clothing and equipment in a settlement we attacked."

She moved to his side then and gathered him in her arms. "Would a shade be able to hold you like this, old father?" She pulled him closer and smoothed down his barely graying black hair.

"I thought you lost to us my daughter. Where have you been?" his airy voice took on the tone of one who had been alone too long.

"Outsiders found me and took me to another planet. I was only able to get here now. "

"Well I thank you for being here. Can you still call the memori?"

She looked on in sadness. "Always father, the gift will never leave me."

"Do so for me. I wish to show you that which I could never tell you."

"Guide me father." She closed her eyes and put her fingers to his temples. After a couple of minutes, they snapped back open and the surrounding area had transformed. She was seeing the world through the eyes of one who was barely of age.

The night was dark and cold. A hunting party had just returned with a fine catch of dewbacks for dinner. Another was still out, collecting the tough tubers that provided much of the tribes water. She felt her father smile as he dismounted and went to greet his mother. His enthusiasm made the rest of the group laugh.

It was always that way with the young ones. Their first hunt, first kill. They always wanted to rush home to relate to their glory to their Juvni. Relating their importance to the continuation of the tribe. It was here he was when the disturbance came into the village.

An already cold night grew colder. Then the strange humming noise began and the fires flared in response. The cold began to burn. His Juvni looked to him. "Go son. You will need to leave now if you are to survive."

He looked at her confused. "Wha…"

"No time for me to explain." A knowing smile lit her lips as she looked into his eyes. "Just remember all that I have taught you as Ke'd'ri. Pass it on. Let our tribe be remembered as it should be."

She rose and pushed him to the back of the hut. Pulling out a knife, she sliced open the hides at the back. "Leave." She pushed him through. He didn't leave immediately though; He poked his head back through the hole to say goodbye.

He was just in time to catch a brief glimpse of icy blue eyes filled with burning rage. That was it. A sudden gasp of recognition broke the fragile bond between two minds and brought them back to the now.

Avingale shook her head. Her father coughed. "What is it my daughter?"

She looked at him slightly puzzled. "Those eyes I have seen them. They…"

They both shivered as the ambient temperature dropped ten degrees. "My young one, you must go now. The suns set."

She looked to the sky. "No father it is barely after twin shadows. It must be…"

"No the Destroyer does not manifest in the light of day."

She gasped as she felt a pressure on her shoulder and the sensation of ice flowing in her veins. "F..fat..ther I would say t..t…hat hhhe just broke the rrrules." Her teeth began to chatter as well as her fathers.

"You called me." It wasn't a question. As the words whispered across her cheek, Avingale felt her skin catch fire.

She turned to face the apparition as her father spoke. "Leave her. It is not her time."

"She shouldn't be." the apparition hissed.

Her eyes narrowed. "But I am. There is nothing that you could do to change that." She felt the nervous flutters in her stomach. There was a moments pause for the apparition as it saw the flare of recognition in her eyes.

"How could you know me?"

"Not you, just the eyes. I have seen them on another." as she spoke the manifestation of Rage bent to her father. Translucent hands touched the dying man and his breath shuddered out of him one last time.

"Now it's your turn." It reached over to touch her.

"Thank you." she whispered The emotion paused in puzzlement. "You just spared me having to do the deed." Then she lifted her head and the apparition backed away. "Now either you take me out or I put you where you belong." There was no emotion in her voice. She was perfectly calm.

It tried to get away, but the sands swirled around and through it. Each grain eroding a piece of the frozen exterior of the manifestation. Once that was gone, a writhing mass of darkness stood in the spot. That she took care of with a blast of pure light and goodness.

She slid to the ground. The spark of power in her eyes becoming mute once more. "Father the shade in no more. The others will soon fade for he was the anchor. Promise you that I will find our tribe and teach them. It is the least I can do for the people that I have so wronged."

She picked up the shell of the man she had called father and placed it deep within the sands. Then she trudged off through the desert to find her home again.


End file.
